US stealth fighters intercept Russian bombers off Alaska

Washington, May 12
A pair of US Air Force stealth fighter jets have intercepted two Russian nuclear-capable bombers in international airspace off the coast of Alaska, a spokesman for the North American Aeorospace Defence Command (NORAD) said.

The Russian long-range bombers on Friday flew into the Air Defence Identification Zone, which extends approximately 321 km off Alaska's western coast, CNN reported.

"At approximately 10 a.m. ET, two Alaskan-based NORAD F-22 fighters intercepted and visually identified two Russian TU-95 'Bear' long-range bomber aircraft flying in the Air Defence Identification Zone around the western coast of Alaska," NORAD and US Northern Command spokesman Canadian Army Major Andrew Hennessy said in a statement.

The Russian aircraft were "intercepted and monitored by the F-22s until the bombers left the ADIZ along the Aleutian Island chain heading west" and never entered US airspace, according to the statement.

The last such intercept of Russian aircraft by US jets took place on May 3, 2017.

Separately, Saturday marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of NORAD, the command that monitors all air activity emanating from within and outside North American airspace.